Your physician might analyze and advise you for some time on diabetes during your visits to his clinic or his visits to your residence. But you are your own physician for 24 hours all through the months and years with diabetes. How many times a day do you contemplate about the word diabetes?

But don’t you despair. You can fight it out with proper care.

The two words that stand uppermost in diabetes care are diet and exercise! If you are disciplined in these two areas, half of your effort is won!

Be in the know that 50 to 60 percent of regular calories come from carbohydrates, 12 to 20 percent from proteins, and not more than 30 percent from fats.

As for diet, let the equilibrise weigh heavily in favor of fruits, vegetables and lots of fiber. More intake of fiber will help you immensely. Give up your past usage of taking heavy meals. Take in small quantities, as and when you are hungry. Extremely high or low blood glucose levels need to be avoided. As for losing weight, “slow and steady wins the race.” You have already consulted your doctor, you strictly go by the norms given to you and you lose two pounds per week. Very good! That’s good progress.

The risk of heart diseases and liver problems are ever there for diabetics. The food items that are major sources of saturated fats must be avoided. Olive oil is often suggested as a good source of mono-unsaturated fat, the healthiest type of fat.

You must remember the following points, which are your lifelines:

1. Maintain the normal blood glucose level.

2. You have the possibility of heart and liver diseases. Limit your food items from this point of view.

3. Maintain the desired level of weight.

With all the emphasis on diet, research on influence of various types of foods on the diabetes patients is still going on unabated. Researchers in this area are the most confused lot. They are certain about effects of some items of food. Vague views also float. For example, the researchers are sure that cooked foods raise blood glucose higher than the raw foods. Whether foods with sugar raise blood glucose higher than the foods with starch, is still uncertain!

Diabetes care will, perhaps, be a hot subject for all time to come—so far, diabetes is alive and kicking!

Heredity

Heredity is a major factor. That diabetes can be inherited has been known for centuries. However, the pattern of inheritance is not fully understood. Statistic indicates that those with a family history of the disease have a higher risk of developing diabetes than those without such a background. The risk bourgeois is 25 to 33 percent more.

One reason why diabetes, especially type-2 diabetes runs in the family is because of the diabetes gene. But even it is caused by genetic factors beyond your control; there is no reason to suffer from it. Diabetes mellitus can't be cured in full sense of the term, but it can be effectively controlled so that you would not know the difference.

Diet

Diabetes has been described by most medical scientists as a prosperity’ disease, primarily caused by systematic overeating. Not only is intake too much sugar and refined carbohydrates harmful, but proteins and fats, which are transformed into sugar, might also result in diabetes if taken in excess.

It is interesting to note that diabetes is nearly unknown in countries where people are poor and can't afford to overeat.

The incidence of diabetes is directly linked with the consumption of processed foods rich in refined carbohydrates, like biscuits, bread, cakes chocolates, pudding and cover creams.

Obesity

Obesity is one of the main causes of diabetes. Studies show that 60 to 85 % of diabetics tend to be overweight. In the United Says of America, about 80 percent of type –2 non-insulin dependent diabetics are reported to be overweight.

Excess fat prevents insulin from working properly. The more fatty tissue in the body, the more resistant the muscle and tissue cells become to body insulin. Insulin grants the sugar in the blood to enter the cells by acting on the receptor sites on the surface of the cells.

Older people often tend to acquire weight, and the same time, many of them develop and mild form of diabetes because who are over weight can often improve their blood sugar simply by losing weight.

Stress and Tension

There is a known connection between stress and diabetes mellitus, those who are under stress and/or lead an irregular lifestyle, need to take sufficient precautions and make necessary lifestyle adjustments.

Grief, worry and anxiety resulting from examinations, death of a close relative, loss of a joy, business unfortunate and strained marital relationship, all a deep influence on the metabolism and might cause sugar to appear in the urine.

Smoking

Smoking is another important risk factor. Among men who smoke, the risk of developing diabetes is doubled. In women who smoke 25 or more cigarettes a day, the risk of developing diabetes is increased by 40 percent.

Lifestyle Risk

People who are less active have greater risk of developing diabetes. Modern conveniences have prefabricated work easier. Physical activity and exercise helps control weight, uses up a lot of glucose (sugar) present in the blood as energy and makes cells more sensitive to insulin. Consequently, the workload on the pancreas is reduced.